Postal Science and Technology

In 2005, adhering to the principle of "Practice orientation, vanguard thinking, effective implementation and constant innovation", China Post made great efforts into standardization, gave a strong support to informatization, attached great importance to the new technology development, and pushed forward the technical advance and innovation of the postal enterprises.

The national investment into postal science and technology totalled RMB 99.7445 million, of which RMB 33.845 million were from the State Post Bureau. Throughout the year, the State Post Bureau completed 90 projects, comprising 25 ones on soft science research, 32 ones on technology development and 33 ones on standardization. There are 17 independent postal research institutes nationwide with 1,973 employees, who undertake 316 research projects including 2 at national level and 244 at State Post Bureau and provincial post bureau levels.

In response to the demand of postal reform and development, China Post completed the research on numerous projects, including express delivery, international services, letters, postal savings, financial management reform and postal routes optimization. Program for Postal Sector Scientific and Technological Development During the 11th Five Years was formulated and submitted to the Ministry of Science and Technology. The revised Procedure and Requirement for Revising Postal Standards (Trial Version) was issued. Its implementation contributed to the maintenance of codes for national postal management and production units, and improved the construction of operation systems. Some standards for postal facilities and tools and stationery were rectified as pilot projects. According to the general arrangement for postal imformatization, China Post put forward a number of technological formulas including financial client management, foreign currency deposit, telephone bank, integrated EMS information processing platform, malfunction management and operation maintenance for postal financial computer network, which laid a scientific basis for services system development and postal network maintenance. Success was made in researching the interface technology that was applied to connect franking machines to the integrated postal network. RFID, one of the national 863 Plan Projects, was applied to EMS dispatches in Shanghai experimentally.

The 2005 appraisal for postal science and technology award was completed. The Unified Version Solution for China Postal Savings Application won the first prize and other 6 projects including Mail Center Operation Systems of the Integrated Postal Computer Network the second prize and another 18 projects including Self-service Parcel Delivery System the third prize.

China Postal Academy

China Postal Academy is a research institute affiliated to the State Post Bureau. Its research results in soft science, enterprise management consultation, postal facilities R&D and system integration, postal information network technology and applications development have been widely applied into the postal production process. Of the 290 staff of the academy, 211 are technicians with professional titles, among whom 75% hold senior qualifications. The academy takes the responsibility of "rejuvenating the postal industry by science and technology" and building modern postal services.

In 2005, focuses were put on offering service and support for studying postal development during the 11th Five-year Plan, separating auxiliary services from dominant ones, maintaining codes for national postal management and production units. In November, the academy was granted Certificate of the ISO9000 Quality Management System while its Quality Center was granted a certificate issued by China National Accreditation Committee for Laboratories, which marked the academy's progress in quality management and product check.